I asked her the other day how her diet is going (there always is one in the pipeline) and she’s now following a course prescribed by a health-shop “expert”, who diagnosed her as such: she was given some kind of paper to put under her tongue, which measured her acidity. If it turned blue = good, yellow = heading for Bad, red = Bad. She was orange, and declared too acidic. Was sold some kind of detox-shake powder to set her right. What foul is this?
(I’ve had many lengthy discussions with her re: eating, diet vs dieting, exercise, the whole shebang, and I don’t think one shred of my advice was filed anywhere but under “Not to be taken”. but some loon surrounded by sprouts and tincture oils tells her she’s too acidic, well, that’s it, better do what the man says. I don’t bother trying any more with her, but I’m just curious for myself, what was actually being tested? would it have any bearing on anything physiologically?)
Sounds like quackery to me as well, Swoop. I’ve never heard of this one, but it also sounds kinda “new-agey” (no offense to anyone who follows new age, btw). I’m not sure how to do a search on this weight loss technique, but there may be something about it on a new age website somewhere.
It would seem to me that a balanced diet plus exercise, which is what doctors and many if not most health experts have been saying for -years-, is the only time-proven way to lose weight, as much as the overweight (myself included!) might want to be able to find some “magic” bullet.
The litmus paper is measuring the Acid / Alkaline balance.
The diet is most likely providing a balance between the acid producing foods and non-acid producing foods. Here is a link that touches on the basic principles:
I kinda doubt that there is quackery going on, but maybe there is. Regardless, there may be something to the acid-base issue. Have a gander here for more basic info.
Well… having checked out the alkaline diet theory (at least what is available online), it does sound like a doable diet. However, Swoop’s Mom was sold a “detoxifying shake powder” to set her right. That may be quackery. The diet itself does appear to be with merit. I found one link that led to an Edgar Cayce page, with his version of an alkaline diet, so it’s been around for a while. BTW, Cayce’s version seemed a bit more reasonable.
"This urine/saliva test and its associated trappings are utter nonsense.
Acid-base status is commonly measured at hospital admission for many diseases, but it is extremely unusual to find acidosis or alkalosis of the blood or extracellular fluid in the early stages of any major disease except kidney disease. Moreover, no food is acidic or alkaline enough in a mixed diet to produce long-lasting changes in the body’s acid-base balance."
“Certain foods can leave end-products called ash that can make your urine acid or alkaline, but urine is the only body fluid that can have its acidity changed by food or supplements. ALKALINE-ASH FOODS include fresh fruit and raw vegetables. ACID-ASH FOODS include ALL ANIMAL PRODUCTS, whole grains, beans and other seeds. These foods can change the acidity of your urine, but that’s irrelevant since your urine is contained in your bladder and does not affect the pH of any other part of your body.”
Thanks all for the input and links - quite informative. But unfortunately it does look like the Snakeskin Oil Industry just put another one past my mom.
Sigh.